A sign of the times .................

DENVER (AP) — Pot at the county fair? Why not?

Colorado's Denver County is adding cannabis-themed contests to its 2014 summer fair. It's the first time pot plants will stand alongside tomato plants and homemade jam in competition for a blue ribbon.

There won't actually be any marijuana at the fairgrounds. The judging will be done off-site, with photos showing the winning entries. And a live joint-rolling contest will be done with oregano, not pot.

But county fair organizers say the marijuana categories will add a fun twist on Denver's already-quirky county fair, which includes a drag queen pageant and a contest for dioramas made with Peeps candies.

"We thought it was time for us to take that leap and represent one of the things Denver has going on," said Tracy Weil, the fair's marketing and creative director.

The nine marijuana categories include live plants and clones, plus contests for marijuana-infused brownies and savory foods. Homemade bongs, homemade roach clips and clothing and fabric made with hemp round out the categories.

An employee weighs portions of retail marijuana to be packaged and sold at 3D Cannabis Center in Den …

Judges will look only at plant quality, not the potency or quality of the drugs they produce. Other contests — patterned after Amsterdam's famed Cannabis Cup — already gauge drug quality and flavor.

Top prize is $20, plus of course a blue ribbon. The fair already has a green ribbon — awarded for using environmentally conscious methods.

Psychiatrist Called Threat Team About Aurora Shooting Suspect James Holmes

By MARK GREENBLATT AND ENJOLI FRANCIS

    Aurora, Colo., shooting suspect James Holmes came to the attention of the threat assessment committee at the University of Colorado but no further action was taken because he left the school more than a month before the attack that killed 12 and injured 58, sources told ABC News.

    ABC News has learned that Dr. Lynne Fenton, the psychiatrist who was treating Holmes, 24, at the school, was also a key member of the university's threat assessment team. The group of experts were responsible for protecting the school from potentially violent students.

    KMGH-TV, ABC News' affiliate in Denver, reported exclusively that, according to sources, by early June, Fenton had informed other members of the team about her concerns regarding Holmes. But on June 10 -- three days after Holmes bought an assault weapon and added it to his already growing arsenal -- he suddenly told the university that he was dropping out of the neurosciences doctoral program with no explanation.

     KMGH-TV reported last week that he'd purchased the weapon hours after failing a key oral exam.

On Monday, Holmes was charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting during a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises."

    Twelve people were killed and 58 were wounded in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Each death carried two separate murder charges, one for showing premeditation and one for showing extreme indifference to life. Both of the charges carry the death penalty as a possible sentence.

    Sources have told KMGH-TV that the threat assessment team never had a formal meeting and never intervened, believing that it had no control over Holmes once he'd left the university. Documents uncovered by ABC News show that Fenton also wrote the school's policy on threat assessment.

    Michael Carrigan, chairman of the CU board of regents, told KMGH that he did not know if Holmes had ever been discussed by the threat assessment team. "It's the first I'm hearing about this," he said in a phone interview.

    A CU spokeswoman declined comment to KMGH on Fenton or any threat-team team actions, citing a gag order.

    Don Elliman, the university's chancellor, said last week that "to the best of our knowledge, at this point, we did everything we think we could have done."

    But experts said today that Holmes' departure should have been a red alert.

"You know, I think that's the signal that you should intensify your efforts, not walk away," said Barry Spodak, a threat assessment expert. "Under those circumstances, most well-trained threat assessment teams would have gone into action."

Stores busy as Colo. prepares for major snowstorm

By DAN ELLIOTT | Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — A powerful winter storm moving across Colorado Friday has dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas.
The storm has prompted a blizzard warning for the northeast, forced flight cancellations and school closures, and calls from highway officials to slow down on icy roadways.

National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Kleyla says the snow began falling Thursday night and by 3:30 a.m. MST Friday, six inches had fallen on downtown Denver, more in suburban areas and up to 15 inches in the foothills west of the city.
He adds that Boulder and some areas just north of Colorado Springs were struggling with 10 inches of snow.
But despite the weather, Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Jarrett Handy says there are no current road closures, even though many roads are icy and snow packed.

He urged motorists to drive cautiously, especially during rush hour.